Helen Lyles, 95, of Lincoln passed away March 2, 2020. Helen was born on December 8, 1924 in Columbus, NE to Augusta (Koch) and Emil Schreiber. She graduated from Kramer High School in Columbus, NE in 1942. She attended Van Sants Business School in Omaha and George Washington University in Washington, D.C. Helen worked for the United States Air Force, Hillfield Air Base, Ogden, UT. In 1944, she moved to Washington, D.C. and started working for Senator Kenneth Wherry (R-Nebraska) at the United States Capitol.
In 1946, after their marriage on September 15 at St. John’s Lutheran Church, Shell Creek, Columbus, NE, to Charles Wesley Lyles Jr, FBI agent, her husband’s assignments took them to Cleveland, OH where their daughter, Barbara Jeanne, was born; Savannah, GA; and Newark, NJ. In 1961 Charles was transferred to Headquarters, Criminal Division, in Washington, D.C. Helen was sworn in at the U.S. Capitol for employment with the United States Senate Judiciary Committee Subcommittee on Constitutional Rights under the chairmanship of Senators Roman Hruska (R-Nebraska) and Senator Sam J. Ervin Jr (R-North Carolina).
In 1985, they both retired and with daughter, Barbara Jeanne, moved to Lincoln, NE. Helen volunteered for Governor Kay Orr. After her time on Capitol Hill, she found it interesting to see politics from the State’s point of view. She volunteered in various places for Community Women’s Club and nine years at St. Elizabeth Hospital.
Helen’s greatest joy was to spend time with her family, her daughter, Barbara Jeanne, and on their boat “Schatzi” on the Chesapeake Bay and at their home on the beach in Ocean City, MD. In Nebraska, she enjoyed volunteering, her church, golf, bridge, reading, painting, theatre, classes and travel with the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the University of Nebraska, which she joined when it was SAGE in 1994. She joined Friendship Force in 1991 and travelled extensively with both organizations all over the world and her family hosted people from other countries many times.
Helen was also a member of First Lutheran Church; PEO Chapter DM; and Women’s Welcome Club. She was on the Board of the Lancaster Foundation on Mental Retardation and held a “Charlie Lyles Memorial Golf Tournament” for 11 years to benefit the Foundation. She was a member of Lincoln Municipal Golf League, Crooked Creek Ladies Golf League and Wilderness Ridge Golf League.
She was preceded in death by husband, Charles Wesley Lyles Jr; daughter, Barbara Jeanne Lyles; mother and father, Augusta and Emil Schreiber; brothers Paul, Merlin and Fred Schreiber and sisters-in-law, Ruby Schreiber and Marilyn Schreiber.
Helen is survived by nieces and nephews: Jim and Linda Lukesh, Lincoln, NE; Rick and Dee Huggins, Plano, TX; Larry and Denise Schreiber, Central City, NE; John and Robin Efta, Columbus, NE; Gregory and Kirk Schreiber, Columbus, NE; Ron Wetzel, Silver Spring, MD; and Mary Lou Lyles.
Funeral services will be held 10:00am Saturday March 7, 2020 at First Lutheran Church, 1551 South 70th Street, Lincoln, NE. Burial will be 10:00 am Monday (3-9-20) Roselawn Cemetery, Columbus, NE.
Visitation Friday March 6, 2020 5-7pm at Roper and Sons South Chapel, 3950 Hohensee Drive.